In this era of rampant mobile banking, opening a physical branch is a different proposition than it used to be, Matt Sosik said. But it’s still an important one.

“At this point in the cycle of our industry, branching has fallen by the wayside a little bit,” said Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, which recently opened its 11th branch on Sargeant Street in Holyoke — a move that, despite the declining emphasis on bricks and mortar, made a lot of sense.

“We feel we’ve been banking with the people of Holyoke for years and years, so Holyoke is a natural extension of our footprint,” he said, noting that today’s branches are smaller and more efficient than those built in the past, but still must emphasize customer service — something that Tiffany Raines, Holyoke’s branch manager, has said she will emphasize there.

We are excited that Forbes named bankESB the runner-up in their first-ever Best-In-State Bank survey. We want to thank YOU for making that happen.

Forbes, a top ranked magazine and global media company, and Statista, an online statistics, market research and business intelligence portal, named bankESB the runner-up in their first-ever Best-In-State Bank survey.

Easthampton, MA: Matthew S. Sosik, President and CEO of bankESB, presented a check for $75,000 to Riverside Industries on December 19, 2018, toward the Riverside Industries Bridge Replacement Campaign.

The donation to Riverside Industries came from the need to replace a 90 year-old bridge on their property that had become unsound, which was critical to the safety of over 500 people who live and work there. This bridge now provides emergency access and a safer path to enter and exit the entrance to the building.

Easthampton, MA – Matthew S. Sosik, President and CEO of bankESB, announced that Amy Fyden has been hired as the Assistant Vice President, Branch Officer, of the Hadley branch on 100 East Street. Fyden will be taking over for John Vassallo, Vice President and Senior Branch Officer of the Hadley branch, who will be retiring on January 18, 2019.

Easthampton, MA –Matthew S. Sosik, President and CEO of bankESB, announced that Michael T. Oleksak has been hired as the Vice President of Commercial Lending.

Oleksak brings over 15 years of experience in banking, most recently serving as the Vice President of Commercial Lending Officer for Westfield Bank, managing a $25+ million portfolio. Before Westfield Bank, Oleksak was the Assistant Vice President, Business Banking Officer at United Bank based in West Springfield, MA.

Have you seen our newest commercial yet? We chose Holyoke because we believe in the power of being a good neighbor. Our new Holyoke branch NOW OPEN at 170 Sargeant Street in Holyoke. Stop by and visit us today.

Easthampton, MA – Matthew S. Sosik, President and CEO of bankESB, announced that Tiffany Raines has been hired as the Assistant Vice President, Branch Officer, of the new Holyoke branch located at 170 Sargeant Street (the corner of Sargeant Street and Beech Street).

Easthampton, MA - On Tuesday, May 22, at the United Way of Hampshire County’s Annual Celebration, bankESB received the “2018 Workplace Champion Award”.

The Workplace Champion Award is presented to an organization and its Campaign Coordinator in recognition of their overall achievement in running a successful campaign and answering the call to make our community a better place. This matches our mission statement, “We strive to be the bank of first choice by delivering on our commitment to the community” and it is an excellent affirmation of our core value, “work as a team; together, we accomplish more.”

Stanley Paulauskas, President of FPS Inc., was presented the bankESB Director Community Service Award at the Board of Directors Meeting yesterday evening. In presenting this award, Matt Sosik, President & CEO of bankESB, praised Stan’s community involvement, which includes over 15 years with the Easthampton Learning Foundation (ELF) as a Director. Stan currently serves as the President of ELF’s Board of Directors.

L to R: Stanley Paulauskas, President of FPS Inc.; Matt Sosik, President & CEO of bankESB

EASTHAMPTON, MA - We would like to give a warm welcome back to Christopher Tarbox, a recent graduate of the University of Hartford, with a degree in Business Administration and Economics/Finance. Chris participated in our bankESB Summer Internship Program in the Commercial Credit Department, and continued as a part-time employee while he completed his degree during the fall semester. Chris has returned as a full-time Credit Analyst, working under the direction of Rob Wheten, Vice President and Commercial Credit Officer.